


All is Found

by disneydork



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Elsamaren Summer 2020 (Disney), F/F, Movie: Frozen (2013), Movie: Frozen 2 (2019), Post-Frozen 2 (2019), all is found, elsamaren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:35:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25362487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/disneydork/pseuds/disneydork
Summary: The lullaby follows Honeymaren through a few snippets of her life and her relationship with Elsa.Inspired by the Elsamaren prompt, "Why do lullabies always have some terrible warning in them?"
Relationships: Elsa/Honeymaren (Disney)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 51
Collections: Elsamaren Summer 2020





	All is Found

**Author's Note:**

> Remember when i said i only had one more prompt done? Yeah, i lied. i stayed up half the night writing most of this and finished it this morning.
> 
> Elsamaren Summer 2020 Day 7. Enjoy!

_Where the north wind meets the sea_

_There’s a river full of memory_

_Sleep, my darling, safe and sound_

_For in this river all is found_

Honeymaren’s earliest memory of that song was when she was five years old. She had just woken up from a horrible nightmare. It was the kind that felt so bone chilling, like it was real.

She remembered being surrounded by a mist, one so much like the one that covered the Enchanted Forest for the first twenty-five years of her life. Except this wasn’t a mist that just locked them inside the forest or separated them from the sky. This mist was dark. Pitch black, almost. It started by merely hovering around her, moving up and down as though it were breathing. Honeymaren remembered looking all around, wondering where everyone else was and why she couldn’t see anything. Suddenly the mist began swirling. It was light at first, just starting something. But almost too quickly it grew bigger. It only briefly flashed these vibrant colors the child had never seen before. But they weren’t vibrant in the way of being happy or inviting. They were almost eerily vibrant. Haunting. Menacing. Foreboding. The flashed so quickly and made shapes in such a haste that Honeymaren couldn’t make out what they were. She just knew that they were attacking each other.

She shrieked as one of the shadows jumped out at her and quickly vanished. She remembered wishing she had her reindeer toy to comfort her, the one her papa had sewn for her when she was born. But in that darkness Honeymaren was alone.

The air suddenly became chill. The temperature dropped to disturbingly low temperatures, a cold Honeymaren had never felt before. She felt as though snow was supposed to rain down on her but it never came. There was no precipitation or wind, just cold. She remembered hurdling inside herself, making herself into as tight a ball as she could to keep warm. She shivered, praying the cold would end soon.

Then there was a bleeping sound.

Honeymaren cautiously poked her head out, only to see a lizard of some sort scatter past her. He looked around curiously, seeming to distract her from the mist. Honeymaren thought that maybe for a moment she was all right. The lizard was a friend; she could help her. She thought she saw him lick his eye; she remembered giggling. But when she reached out to touch him, he turned to face her suddenly. And in the same motion, the curious, seemingly friendly lizard turned into a tiny monster. He lit on fire and growled loudly, spitting something in her direction.

The girl shrieked and skidded back only to bump into something else. It was…. Liquidy? But also somehow solid? Honeymaren blinked. She felt behind her, as if to get a better idea of what it was. But when she turned her head around, she was horrified to see a creepy, creepy face. It flashed only once before disappearing into the darkness, but was enough to send her screaming.

Suddenly the ground around her began shaking. She couldn’t keep her balance. She felt herself being tossed up and down and up and down. She landed on her butt and then, a moment later, something came flying at her. She managed to dodge it but had nowhere to really hide in the darkness. She remembered called for help; or, at least trying to call for help.

But in the darkness no one could hear her.

There was only one passing moment, the shortest possible moment, where it looked like a hand was reaching out to her. Something…blueish.

But before anything could come of it the cold came again and Honeymaren was once more frozen in place. She heard the word ‘trapped’ echoing over and over again in the most menacing voice she’d ever heard.

And then the next thing she knew, it tried to swallow her completely.

She woke up screaming and quickly ran towards the comfort of her mother’s arms.

“Mama! Mama!” she cried.

The little girl buried her head into her mother’s chest, shivering rapidly from both fear and the remnants of the cold.

“Honeymaren, what is it, dear?” the soft voice asked.

Honeymaren sniffed and rubbed her head against her mother. She could feel her hand going through her thick curls, attempting to calm her down.

“Mama…. Mama….” She cried. “I…. I’m scared…. I…. There were….”

She couldn’t get any complete sentences out. At her age, Honeymaren likely had no idea how to even describe what she saw or how she felt. She just knew she was scared. She really did feel trapped.

Not that it was too far from reality.

With the mist covering the forest for years before, the Northuldra were all very much trapped.

“It’s ok, Honey. It was just a bad dream,” he mother promised.

Honeymaren sobbed, clutching her mother’s tunic.

It was just a dream, she repeated to herself.

Just a dream.

She had no idea how long the two of them sat up in the goahti like that. How long must it have taken her mother to calm her down? How much had she had to play with Honeymaren’s hair to keep her distracted? How many times did she repeat the same thing? How had her voice not once faltered even in the dead of night?

Eventually, however, Honeymaren did calm down.

She was still very much awake.

But at least she was calm.

“How about let’s try to get you back to sleep,” her mother suggested.

“I don’t wanna,” the girl pouted.

“Will you try?” she encouraged.

There was a pause.

However, the child relented.

And her mother began singing the lullaby.

_“Where the north wind meets the sea, there’s a river full of memory…. Sleep, my darling, safe and sound, for in this river all is found….”_

She sang it once.

She sang it twice.

She held Honeymaren in her arms.

She sang it a third time.

She gently ran her finger down her child’s nose.

Then, halfway through the fourth time, Honeymaren was sound asleep.

And the nightmare was all but forgotten.

She was at peace.

_In her waters, deep and true_

_Lie the answers and a path for you_

Honeymaren lost count of how many times she cried herself to sleep with that lullaby.

It was the only thing that could get her to sleep after her parents passed.

Her father had gone first; Honeymaren was still a child then, no older than eight. She didn’t remember exactly what happened, only that there had been an accident. She remembered returning from harvesting some berries with her mother and brother. There was a commotion and a few names were mentioned.

One of them was Honeymaren’s father.

Her mother sang the lullaby every night to Honeymaren and Ryder. Honeymaren was strong because she tried to be. She was the older sibling. She had to help console Ryder. She failed miserably, of course. She couldn’t sing as calmly as her mother did, even in the worst possible situations. But somehow, her mother’s voice was as soothing as it always was. She sang to them every night until they were able to sleep without it.

That was, until she was no longer around to sing to them.

Her mother’s passing hit harder only because it came on so suddenly.

She was fine.

One day she was perfectly fine.

Then the next day she wasn’t.

The day after that was worse.

And somehow, all too quickly, she was gone.

The sickness proved too much for her to overcome.

Honeymaren pushed everyone away. She didn’t want to see anyone. She didn’t want anyone to see her. She didn’t even want to talk to her own brother. She just wanted to be alone. She curled up in her own goahti, clutching her childhood reindeer toy tightly and coughing out the lullaby her mother sang to her.

_“Wh…where the n…north wind…meet the s…sea…. Th…there’s a…a river…f…full of…mem….”_

Those were the only things left of her parents.

They were gone.

What twisted world was this, Honeymaren asked herself? Why was she forced to suffer over and over again? She couldn’t leave the forest; but that was ok because at least she had her family. Then her father was taken away. And then, less than ten years later, her mother. She was not ready to be on her own. She wasn’t ready to be a protector of Northuldra. Not when she still needed protection.

She huffed out as much of the lullaby as she could until she was too exhausted to continue.

She did that every night for countless days.

For all she knew, it could have been years.

Eventually, Honeymaren reemerged from her goahti. She cried as many tears as she could manage. She wallowed for as long as her body would let her. And as heartbroken as she was and as much as she still wanted to avoid everyone, she couldn’t hide forever. She had to be strong. For her parents and for herself.

Though every once in a while she would look to Ahotohollan for guidance; to ask what their grand plan was; wondering why so much suffering was brought upon her; she prayed to become stronger and grow into a woman her parents would be proud of; for some time after that, the lullaby had all been but forgotten.

_Dive down deep into her sound_

_But not too far or you’ll be drowned_

The next time she heard a portion of the lullaby had come as a surprise.

But then again, the whole day was a surprise.

Perhaps it started out as normal – Honeymaren was with Ryder and their reindeer. They were gathering berries and then would help prepare the reindeer to travel with them to the Lichen Meadow. But then one of the scouts reported something. Strange people they’d never seen before. Suddenly everyone had to get into position. Honeymaren let go of her typical calm demeanor, the one that only appeared while she was working as she was kept distracted. Quickly she dove into protector mode. She grabbed her staff and climbed into one of the nearby trees, instructing Ryder to move the reindeer and tell everyone to find their spots. Fast.

When Honeymaren emerged from the tree, demanding to know who these visitors were, they were shocked to find out that they were Arendellians.

And even more shocked to find out they were the royals.

The icing on the cake was that the royal Arendellians also happened to be Northuldra.

Though intriguing, Honeymaren couldn’t let her guard down.

Even if the blonde woman was absolutely stunning.

And had magical ice powers which she used to not only tame the fire spirit but also created beautiful ice sculptures and made the forest glow in a dazzling light the likes of which Honeymaren had never seen before.

But she was Northuldra. And she wanted to help.

Though doubtful, Honeymaren supposed she deserved a chance.

So she approached her at the campfire. The baby reindeer seemed to take to her just fine. It eased Honeymaren slightly to see that. Reindeer were creatures of nature; their natural instincts told them whom to trust. And though they lived and worked with the Northuldra, this woman came in from out of nowhere and made friends with the little guy on the spot.

Honeymaren offered the woman – Elsa, she learned her name was – some knowledge of the Northuldra. And she was more than receptive. Actually, she was downright genuine.

All it took was for Honeymaren to mention the name Ahtohollan.

And then Elsa sang.

_“Dive down deep into her sound.”_

For the first time in forever, even if it was only for one line, Honeymaren joined her.

_“But not too far or you’ll be drowned.”_

And in that brief moment, all else was forgotten.

She forgot that they were trapped in the mist.

She forgot about the conflict between Northuldra and Arendelle.

She forgot about all the pain the lullaby had once brought on her.

She forgot the pain that she pushed down for all those years.

She forgot that they were trapped in the mist.

She forgot that she never saw the clear sky.

She was at peace again.

_She will sing to those who hear_

_And in her song all magic flows_

It was right after Elsa settled down in Northuldra. After the mist lifted. After the sky was open. After the craziness. After the abdication. After the connection of the two lands.

Honeymaren wouldn’t go so far as to say things returned to normal. Nothing was normal anymore. She woke up to see the sun shining. Or maybe a few clouds scattered across the sky. Or maybe a darkness indicating a storm was coming. She went to bed under the stars. Under the clouds. Under the raindrops. Under the snow. She could see the sky and everything it had to offer.

Now there was also the option of seeing the world.

It was almost tempting to join the sisters on their return to Arendelle. Ryder was more than happy to go, of course, He wanted to see the sky from everywhere as if it would look different somehow. But Honeymaren was insistent in her position. She needed to stay with her tribe in case they still needed protection. She had to be there with them. Though everything was deemed safe now and peace was formed, she still had her trepidations. Her guard was still very much up.

But she didn’t expect it to be lowered so quickly.

Because after Elsa settled down in Northuldra, everything changed.

The Fifth Spirit lived among them.

And at night she was particularly restless.

Honeymaren would give her this much – Elsa at least tried to be quiet. She could tell in the woman’s eyes that there was never any intention to wake anyone. It just so happened that it failed on Honeymaren’s part. And that was how they met up in the middle of the encampment.

Honeymaren quickly exited her goahti to see a shocked Elsa standing near where the campfire had burned earlier that night. The brunette narrowed her gaze.

“What are you doing up?”

“I’m sorry. Did I wake you?” Elsa gasped.

She quickly shook her head, realizing that of course she woke Honeymaren up.

“I didn’t mean to. I was just…” she tried to explain.

“What? Wander the forest by yourself in the middle of the night and magically fall asleep under a tree somewhere?” Honeymaren guessed.

Elsa pursed her lips. “It’s either that or sing,” she confessed quietly.

“So you have a thing about singing in the middle of the night when you can’t sleep,” Honeymaren repeated.

“Sometimes,” she shrugged. “I…I was going to go to the shore of the Dark Sea. Maybe take a ride to Ahtohollan. I didn’t mean to disturb anyone.”

“A little late for that,” Honeymaren folded her arms.

Yet somehow she couldn’t find it in herself to be annoyed at the Fifth Spirit.

“Besides the shore is no place to be at high tide. You’re better off somewhere else.”

“Got any suggestions?” she inquired hopefully.

“Well where does a spirit queen usually run off to in the middle of the night?” Honeymaren asked.

“Ice palace on the North Mountain,” she answered almost too quickly.

Honeymaren blinked.

Huh.

So that was a thing.

“Yeah, that’s not happening here,” she shook her head. “Come on, Snowflake, I’ll show you a spot.”

Elsa rolled her eyes. “Elsa is fine.”

Honeymaren scoffed lightly. “Whatever you say, Snowflake.”

Elsa folded her arms as she followed the brunette away from the camp. “I don’t need any titles.”

“Not a title. Just a name.”

“It sounds a bit like a title.”

“Would you prefer Your Majesty?”

“No thank you.”

“Snowflake it is.”

She took Elsa to the entrance of the forest, where the engravings of the four spirits sat in stone. It was a wide-open space, likely leaving them wide open to any potential attacks. But, Honeymaren supposed, what harm could it do? It was for the Fifth…Elsa…after all. Between her magic ice powers and Honeymaren’s capabilities they should be fine should anyone dare approach.

“What better place for a spirit queen than by the actual spirits,” she offered.

She turned around and watched as Elsa gently placed a hand to one of the stones. Honeymaren was still completely unsure what to think of her. She only knew that she was intrigued on some level still by Elsa. The brunette placed a hand on her hip.

“I know it’s not exactly fancy like you’re used to or anything.”

Elsa shook her head. “I don’t need fancy. This…this is….” She pulled her hand away and gazed around her. She took in the other pillars around them, then the forest, then the sky, and finally, she lifted her arms lightly as if to signal everything around her. Her mouth was slightly open as if she wanted to say something. But no words came fluttering out.

“Your new home?” Honeymaren asked as if it were completely obvious.

“Home…” the blonde replied almost thoughtfully. She tilted her head in thought. Her brows furrowed slightly. She glanced up at the sky again and then carefully made her way towards one of the other pillars. She stopped just short of it, almost reaching out to touch it. However, at the last second she stopped herself. Instead, she pulled her arm in towards her and slowly sat down. She sat with her legs flat out in front of her. Was that a way queens or princesses sat, Honeymaren thought? It seemed…almost too normal. And the last thing Elsa was was normal.

Elsa took a deep breath in before gently resting her head against the stone. She didn’t dare lean her pull back against it. Instead she breathed in and out. She lightly clutched the grass beneath her fingertips. And then, slowly, she opened her eyes and gazed up at the sky again.

“There’s so much I don’t know about here…. I feel like I missed out on so much,” she confessed.

That was fair, given the history, Honeymaren supposed.

At least, whatever history she was able to make out from the living snowman.

Shrugging her shoulders, Honeymaren approached her. “What do you know?”

“Just the lullaby,” she admitted. “My mother only sang it to us once. Sometimes that one instance was enough to get me through a night. But now…. I wish she could have shared more. I want to do right by my mother.”

That was something Honeymaren could relate to.

It wasn’t quite the same, but the sentiment was similar.

They both wanted to make their mothers proud.

What was Elsa’s mother like, Honeymaren wondered.

Was she soft like Honeymaren’s?

Did she protect Elsa from her nightmares?

Did she comfort her when she was scared?

Did she always try to make her feel better?

Did she make her feel safe and loved?

Honeymaren sat beside Elsa, though she kept a bit of space between them. She sat with one leg straight out in front and the other pulled in so her arm could prop onto it. She leaned forward slightly, looking at the woman beside her curiously.

“Was she happy in Arendelle?”

There was a pause.

“I believe she was,” Elsa answered after a thought. “I don’t think everything was perfect. She had to hide who she was for so long. Circumstances did stop her from sharing anything with me and Anna. And as much as I’d like to think she wished she could have had the chance to share everything with us, I do believe she felt Arendelle was just as much her home as Northuldra.”

“Maybe it’s a start then,” Honeymaren offered. “The song, I mean. It makes you feel connected to her. And she was Northuldra. So…”

“Maybe that’s home, too,” Elsa thought aloud. _“Where the north wind meets the sea, there’s a river full of memories…. Sleep, my darling, safe and sound, for in this river all is found.”_

It was almost funny how seamlessly Elsa just shifted into song like that.

And how beautiful it sounded.

Calming, almost.

 _“In her waters deep and true, lie the answers and a path for you,”_ she continued.

Involuntarily, Honeymaren joined her on the next line.

_“Dive down deep into her sound. But not too far or you’ll be drowned.”_

Their voices blended almost perfectly, just as they did that first instance at the campfire. It surprised Honeymaren. Not just how easy it was; but also how natural it was. It was almost like she sang it with Elsa a million times before. And that, when she sang it with her, there was peace.

The two of them glanced to each other briefly, taking a pause before singing together again.

The song continued until they reached the end.

And then, not too long afterwards, Elsa fell asleep.

She rested completely against the pillar, chest breathing up and down as though she, too, was at peace.

Honeymaren felt her eyes drooping. She was also tiring.

But then she turned her head and looked at Elsa.

And….

She actually looked pretty cute when she was sleeping.

The way she glowed under the moonlight.

The way her white dress only highlighted her form rather than drowned it out.

The way her chest moved up and down in a rhythmic pattern.

The way her lips curled up just slightly on her freckled face.

They way her freckles actually popped against her skin in that moment.

The way her blonde hair fell down her sides and onto her shoulders.

The way the sides just framed her face so perfectly.

The way a few loose strands just decided to fall out of place and fall in front of her.

Who was she kidding?

Elsa didn’t just look pretty cute.

She looked goddamn beautiful.

_Can you brave what you most fear?_

_Can you face what the river knows?_

It was hard to focus when Elsa was around, but not impossible.

That is, except for when Honeymaren was trying to work with the reindeer.

She was trying so hard to encourage one particular baby reindeer to listen to her.

“Come on, Ruben, you have to follow me. Look where I’m taking your mama. You have to come with us.”

Blinking, the reindeer only stared up at her with big soulful eyes.

Honeymaren sighed. She set her staff to the side, against a nearby tree, and attempted to use a hand signal. Perhaps this one learned a bit differently from the rest of the herd.

“This way, Ruben. Come with me and mama,” she encouraged.

Pause.

Ruben stared.

Then he licked his snout.

Honeymaren groaned.

“You really can’t make her keep waiting, you know.” She turned towards the couple of other reindeers in her care, specifically one of the females. “Florá, call your son over.”

Her response was no different from Ruben’s, save for a more deadpanned look before licking her own snout.

“Oh, come on!” Honeymaren groaned.

The wind spirit blew beside Honeymaren. The whistling caught the attention of Ruben, who began barking happily.

Oh no, Honeymaren thought, that could only mean one thing.

Rolling her eyes, she turned to see whom else but Elsa approaching.

Ruben, in pure delight, skipped right over to her and began prancing in circles around her.

“Hello again, little guy,” Elsa greeted him with a smile and a pet to the head.

Honeymaren shook her head. “Ruben, I said go to your mama.”

The reindeer replied by sitting down next to Elsa.

Honeymaren pursed her lips. “That’s not your mama.”

Ruben responded by licking his snout.

The brunette folded her arms and groaned. “You’re impossible, you know that?” She watched as Elsa walked over and, as soon as she began stepping forward, the reindeer eagerly followed her. It seemed as though he really did not want to leave her side. “Did you come here just to distract my reindeer?”

“Not at all,” Elsa promised. She politely waved Gale off before returning her attention to Honeymaren. She took in a breath and cupped her hands in front of her. “Actually, I came to ask you a question.”

“Oh?” she raised an eyebrow.

“I’m returning to Arendelle on Friday and I was wondering…well, actually the invitation is more from Anna…but I would also like to…that is….” She shook her head and took in another breath. “Would you and Ryder like to join us for our family game night?”

Honeymaren blinked. “Wha…? Us?”

“That is…I mean….” Elsa tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “We…we are friends. And, and so Anna just thought…although I suppose it is true for me as well…it, it would be nice to have some company and…and so….”

Was she supposed to be this cute stumbling over her words like that?

But then again, it wasn’t a new train of thought for Honeymaren.

It happened every once in a while when Elsa would join her on her routine.

Granted, it was usually with the reindeer; she blamed Ruben for that for obvious reasons.

Honeymaren would be trying to do her job. Whether it was working or not was another story entirely. Elsa would come over. Honeymaren would stop and talk to her for what only seemed like five minutes. And then suddenly five minutes became two hours. Where did the time go? And when did Honeymaren become so comfortable around Elsa?

She wished she knew.

“Relax, Snowflake.” Honeymaren instinctively reached out to take Elsa’s hand. She only held it by the fingertips and it was only passing, but it was enough to shut her up. That was all she really needed. “I’ll come.”

Elsa exhaled. It was deep. Like she didn’t know she was even holding it.

“What?” the shorter woman teased. “Did you think I’d say no?”

“I mean…you haven’t left the forest before so I wasn’t sure…. And I know you’d much rather stay with everyone, or maybe it’s more you want to do your jobs….” Elsa began fumbling over her words again, unable to keep track of what she was saying.

It should not have been so adorable.

“Snowflake, chill,” the brunette nearly laughed. She gave her hand a squeeze. “I said I’ll come.”

For a moment there was complete silence between the two of them. Their eyes met though neither said or did a single thing. Honeymaren only took notice of Elsa’s stare. Sure, she could also see that her other arm was pulled into her chest, as if to cover her heart – even though she absolutely had no reason to because why should she worry about Honeymaren rejecting something as simple as game night? But just the way she was staring at her. It was…. Not quite clueless. Curious, perhaps. Or lost. In those big blue eyes of hers. Blue eyes that shone like ice crystals in the middle of winter.

Huh.

Did her eyes always sparkle like that?

She heard the faint huffing of an attention-deprived Ruben beside them, but it wasn’t enough to break Honeymaren out of her trance. What was enough, however, was when he bumped his head against Honeymaren’s leg. She stumbled forward just slightly, bringing her closer to Elsa. A gasp escaped from the blonde and suddenly Hoenymaren’s hand felt ice cold.

What the…?

The two of them looked down.

Their hands were frozen together in a block of ice.

Honeymaren’s eyes widened.

That was new.

“Oh…. Oh my spirits I’m so sorry!” Elsa blurted. She pulled her hand, as if it would somehow be enough to break the ice. “I…I don’t know what…. This…this doesn’t….”

As she pulled and tugged, Honeymaren could only stand there with a dazed look.

She was still holding Elsa’s hand that whole time?

She was still holding Elsa’s hand that whole time.

She was still holding Elsa’s hand that whole time!

What in the hell was she…?

Suddenly a shriek escaped the blonde. She managed to pull her hand back fully, causing the ice to shatter and scatter about. Honeymaren jerked back, somehow able to avoid the tiny shards that attempted to attack her.

Elsa, however, was not as lucky.

The Fifth Spirit who could control snow and ice couldn’t avoid her own ice.

Honeymaren straightened her posture and looked to Elsa, who now had her hand over her nose.

“What just happened…?”

“Oh….” There was a brief moan of pain that escaped Elsa before she shook her head and jumped right back into her apology. “I’m so sorry…I, I had no idea that was…that doesn’t happen anymore…there hasn’t been….”

“Whoa, whoa, Snowflake, easy,” Honeymaren breathed. She held her hands up, fluttering her fingers slightly like it would quiet her friend somehow. She saw Elsa pull in her lips…at least, that’s what she thought she was doing. Elsa always made that face when she pulled in her lips.

Not that it mattered at all!

“Are you ok?” Honeymaren managed to ask.

Elsa shook her head. “I’m fine. It’s just a scratch. The cold doesn’t bother me anyway.”

“A scratch isn’t the same as a cold. Let me look,” she offered. Honeymaren began to move her hand forward, but Elsa flinched. Honeymaren stared at her. “I can’t look at it if you don’t let me.”

“I’m fine,” Elsa repeated.

“Snowflake.”

“Honeymaren.”

The stare down continued.

For how long exactly, Honeymaren was unsure.

She only knew it ended when Ruben began head-butting Elsa’s leg.

“Oh…. Ruben!” Elsa gasped.

For once, Honeymaren wasn’t going to argue with the reindeer’s questionable obsession. It was just enough for Elsa’s grip on her nose to loosen and Honeymaren held her hand in place. Elsa froze, but Honeymaren paid little mind. Instead, she only focused on the small scratch that formed on the spirit’s nose.

“Seriously, you can control ice but you can’t protect yourself from getting hurt by ice? I expected more from the spirit queen,” the brunette teased.

Elsa rolled her eyes and wiggled out of Honeymaren’s grip. “I told you, I’m fine.”

Ruben huffed.

“Whatever,” Honeymaren shook her head. “You do what you want, I have to take care of the reindeer.”

At least, she tried to focus on the reindeer. She tended to Florá and the couple of others she brought with her, but she could not completely pull her attention away from Elsa. From the corner of her eye she watched as the blonde leaned up against a thick tree and rubbed her nose again. She wiggled it, pursing and tugging her lips in the process.

It was adorable.

But not the point.

Elsa eventually leaned her head back against the trunk, almost as if she were hitting it in disappointment. A few moments later, Ruben shifted so instead of simply circling around Elsa he lay beside her. He rested his head down in her lap and, eventually, Elsa’s hand moved from her face down onto the reindeer.

Honeymaren managed to return the reindeers to the stable and came back to see Elsa and Ruben in the same position as they were earlier. By that time the sun was setting, but Elsa appeared shocked that any time had passed at all.

“When did you…?”

“I just got back.”

There was a pause.

Honeymaren attempted to focus on Ruben instead.

“How long as he been out for?”

Elsa glanced down at her furry companion, and then back up at Honeymaren. “A while. I’m sorry, I didn’t have the heart to move him.”

“You apologize too much,” she scoffed lightly. Honeymaren walked over and leaned up against the tree before sliding down next to Elsa. The sound of her plopping on the ground seemed to stir Ruben a little. He groaned and shook his back leg, not wanting to be disturbed. Honeymaren shook her head, but Elsa merely responded by stroking his head.

She leaned forward, singing softly to the reindeer to soothe him.

_“Where the north wind meets the sea, there’s a river full of memories…. Sleep, my darling, safe and sound, for in this river all is found.”_

The reindeer sighed contently before nuzzling against Elsa again and returning to his peaceful slumber.

Honeymaren didn’t want to openly admit that she, too, felt at pace by the song.

“Shit, he really does think you’re his mother,” she commented instead.

“I don’t know about that,” the blonde shook her head.

“I do. I’d say you’re stuck with him,” she replied. “When a reindeer chooses you, there’s no choice. That’s your partner for life.”

Elsa pursed her lips. “For life, huh?”

Honeymaren gave a nod. “We rely on the reindeer just as much as they do us. So when one of us bonds with a deer, or them us, we take that pretty seriously. Think you can handle being a spirit queen and take care of a reindeer?”

“I hope so. For his sake,” she confessed softly. Her gaze remained on Ruben, gently stroking his fur.

Now that really was something.

Elsa had all these powers, all these responsibilities, all this elegance and regality about her and yet…. Somehow it never seemed to be about her. It was about everyone else. Moving to Northuldra was about living her mother’s legacy; learning about who she was; doing her proud. Now with Ruben…Elsa was denying absolutely nothing. The reindeer attached himself at her hip whenever he found an opportunity and Elsa never pushed him away or thought him as a burden. Even in that moment when Honeymaren said he was basically her reindeer now she just…she wanted to be good for him.

She was so much more than just a spirit queen, wasn’t she?

Suddenly Honeymaren became aware of how long she’d been staring at Elsa for. She shook her head and cleared her throat. “So…. So, how’s, how’s the nose?”

“Huh?” Elsa asked, lost in thought.

“Your…your nose. From before,” she reminded her.

Elsa’s eyes widened as she caught on. “Oh!” Her free hand shot up to briefly touch her scratch. “I…I’m fine.”

“Let me see,” Honeymaren offered.

“Honeymaren, I said I’m fine,” Elsa insisted.

“Will you actually let me look at it this time?” she asked. Honeymaren lifted one of her hands, but didn’t move it closer to Elsa’s face just yet. She waited for the blonde to give in.

There was hesitation.

She met her blue eyes.

And they stared.

Slowly, Honeymaren brought her fingertip to the bridge of Elsa’s nose.

She watched as the blonde flinched.

But then, when Honeymaren’s finger made full contact, there was relaxation.

She delicately moved it down from the bridge to the tip before it fluttered off.

She repeated that same motion.

And again.

And one more time.

Each time Elsa became more relaxed.

And each time Honeymaren became more lost in Elsa’s eyes.

They stared.

“I think you’ll survive.”

Honeymaren’s voice came out softer than she anticipated.

She didn’t recall using a tone like that before.

Why did she care so much?

Why did she want Elsa to be at such ease?

Why did she feel herself inching closer and closer?

Honeymaren stopped herself just before they became too close.

What was she about to do…?

Was she really going to…?

But Elsa didn’t back away.

Instead her eyes fluttered.

Like they were lost in the moment.

Or perhaps just lost in Honeymaren.

Honeymaren felt her own hand flutter down to Elsa’s side.

She removed it completely from Elsa’s face.

They were a hair’s space away.

And then, the next thing Honeymaren knew, she kissed her.

_Until the river’s finally crossed_

_You’ll never feel the solid ground_

_You have to get a little lost_

_On your way to being found_

Up to that point, the lullaby had gotten Honeymaren through the two most trying times in her life.

She never imagined it would also get her through a third time.

Everything started out perfectly fine; it was normal by every standard. Elsa went off to Ahtohollan while Honeymaren attended to her duties at the camp. This particular instance she was training a few preteens how to handle the reindeer. The lesson had gone well, all things considered.

Of course there was still Ruben, who was eagerly awaiting the return of his ‘mama’.

Once the lesson was complete, Honeymaren gathered her things and set off to meet Elsa at the shore of the Dark Sea. She had most everything set in her satchel while Ruben was looking over the cliff. From the corner of her eye Honeymaren could see him wagging his tail in anticipation.

I know, I’m excited, too, she thought.

Not that she could bring herself to say it out loud.

Then again, if anyone asked Honeymaren years ago that she would have not only become friends with the legendary Fifth Spirit, but romantically involved with her, she would have laughed.

Now Honeymaren could not imagine life without her.

Suddenly, Ruben began barking.

But it wasn’t his usual bark.

There was urgency to it.

Honeymaren stood, setting her satchel down. “What is it, Ruben?”

She approached the edge of the cliff, looking over. The reindeer continued barking, going so far as to stomp his feet. Honeymaren squinted, trying to look at the vastness of the sea. It appeared calm at first….

But then there were waves in the distance.

Large ones.

Honeymaren furrowed her brows. What was…?

Then she realized.

Those were not natural waves.

Those were the Nokk’s waves.

Her eyes widened.

“Snowflake!”

Jumping on Ruben, she commanded him to race down the cliff side and towards the edge of the sea. Honeymaren had no idea what was happening; she just knew she had to get there and meet Elsa. Something happened.

As soon as they reached the edge where the sea met the ground, Honeymaren jumped off of Ruben’s back. She saw the Nokk quickly approaching with Elsa hanging over his side. Honeymaren felt her heart racing. What the hell happened? Why was…? What did…? How did…?

“Snowflake!”

She pushed through the tide to get to the Nokk before it completely reached land. It whinnied, almost jumping back at Honeymaren’s sudden appearance.

“Hey…hey…easy…. I’m here for Elsa,” she forced out.

It took a bit of prodding and fighting, but somehow Honeymaren managed to lead the Nokk to shore. Honeymaren pulled Elsa off its back and let herself collapse onto the sand. She sat upright, trying to pull Elsa in close to her. She situated her so her back was up against Honeymaren’s chest and her head on her shoulder. Her body felt limp and her blonde locks, usually so pristine and in place, were half covering her face. Honeymaren struggled to move the strands out of the way as if it would give Elsa some air.

“Snowflake…. Snowflake, wake up…” Honeymaren urged. “You have to tell me what happened. What…? How…? Was it the Nokk?”

The water spirit gasped at the insult.

Well that answered that.

Honeymaren shook her head.

“Ugh! Was…was it the sea? Was it the weather there? Was it Ahtohollan? Was it the memories?” She tried naming every possibility she could think of. What in spirits’ name could make Elsa just lose consciousness like that? What could make her seem so…so….

No.

No.

No, no, no, no, no.

There was no way Elsa….

Honeymaren tried lightly shaking her. “Snowflake…Snowflake, you gotta wake up. Give me something here….”

But there was no response.

Honeymaren could feel her heartbeat racing.

“Snowflake…”

But with each plea, there was no response.

Honeymaren’s breath felt caught in her throat.

No.

No….

“Snowflake….”

She shook her again.

Gently pat her on the cheek.

Moved her arm.

Placed her hand over her heart.

It was still beating but….

But something wasn’t right.

What did…?

How could…?

Why…?

No….

No, not again.

Someone else was not about to be taken away from her!

“Elsa….”

She choked out her girlfriend’s name.

She barely mentioned it since the two of them met.

She didn’t even remember if she called her Elsa to her face.

But what if now…?

Honeymaren’s grip around her tightened.

She pulled the blonde in as close to her as she could.

Honeymaren felt the tears well up in her eyes.

She breathed heavily and hugged Elsa tight.

She wished there was something she could say.

Something that could reach her.

Something that could get her to wake up.

Something that could bring her back to her.

She couldn’t lose her.

She couldn’t….

_“Wh…where the north wind…. Meets the sea…”_

She choked the lullaby out.

She hadn’t forced it out like that since her mother.

She couldn’t remember the last time it brought her so much pain.

Or when she needed it so much.

_“There’s…a…ri…ver…. Full of mem…memory….”_

Spirits what the hell happened?

Why were they taking Elsa away?

Stop, Honeymaren thought, don’t take someone else…don’t take her away from me….

_“Di…dive down d…deep in…to her…her sound….”_

For a moment the air was silent save for Honeymaren’s cries.

Not even Ruben barked a peep.

Then there was a shiver.

It was abrupt at first.

Honeymaren thought it was herself somehow.

Or maybe the wind spirit.

But then she heard the faintest sound.

The faintest, but most recognizable and beautiful sound she ever heard.

_“B…but not too far or…or you’ll be….”_

Honeymaren’s eyes widened.

“Elsa?”

She pulled her head up just enough to look down at the woman in her arms.

Blue eyes fluttered open sporadically.

Her body trembled and that was when Honeymaren realized how cold it was.

Elsa’s lip quivered slightly just as she forced out the end of the line hoarsely.

“…Or you’ll be drowned.”

Honeymaren exhaled deeply.

“Elsa….”

The blonde looked up at her apologetically if not drowsily.

“I…may have accidentally gone too far…” she whispered.

Honeymaren heaved.

May have?

May have??

She gave Honeymaren a fricking heart attack because she _accidentally_ went too far??

Honeymaren wanted to scream at her.

She wanted to scream at her from the top of her lungs.

She wanted Elsa to know how terrified she had been.

She wanted Elsa to pay for making her break down like that.

For making her think she actually lost her.

For making her….

But as soon as Elsa weakly reached her arm up to stroke Honeymaren’s cheek, the brunette knew she had no chance.

Instead of saying a single word, she leaned down and kissed her girlfriend passionately.

She knew full well Elsa was too exhausted to return the same feeling.

But she could still feel it.

She felt it when she knew Elsa was relaxed in her arms.

She felt it when Elsa’s hand went through her hair.

She felt it when Elsa sighed with relief into her lips.

She felt it when it completely registered that Elsa’s heart was fully beating.

When Honeymaren pulled back she didn’t do anything else except hold Elsa as close to her as she possibly could. She gave her all the warmth her body could offer. She rested her head against her chest so she could feel it beating for her. She even let Ruben lie on top of them and offer his body for heat and comfort as well. For once Honeymaren didn’t care.

All she cared about was she had the woman she loved.

And she was never going to let her go again.

_Where the north wind meets the sea_

_There’s a mother full of memory_

Hospitals in Arendelle were nothing like going to the medicine woman in Northuldra.

Honeymaren hated it.

Not that the medicine woman was much better.

But she was certain the hospital was worse.

They weren’t even supposed to be there. By all accounts they had no business being there. But how could they not after what happened?

It was a routine visit to Arendelle for the weekend. Honeymaren accompanied Elsa for family game night with Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf. They had a fun Friday night. Saturday they spent a day out on the town. Anna had few queenly duties to attend to that particular day and she always loved interacting with the people of Arendelle. Honeymaren of course teased Elsa for being so different from her sister that there was no way they could possibly be related.

There was quite a bit of teasing, actually.

Though, to be fair, there was always teasing.

But at night fell things quickly took a turn.

There were shouts in the distance of a fire.

Something horrible had happened.

Honeymaren was unable to do anything except watch in horror the scene that played out before. There were a few Arendellians struggling to put out the fire, one trying to get inside. There were screams. Anna was doing everything in her power to control the situation as queen, but the truth was the flames were uncontrollable. Even Elsa, with all of her ice powers, had been able to do little to help. She tried to use her ice to calm the flames. She tried everything she could to overpower them. But in the end, the flames became too much for the townhouse and it burned to the ground.

Only one man had been able to rush in and jump out in the nick of time with a bundle in his arms.

And it was only because Elsa stood in the doorway under the engulfing flames, struggling to keep the structure up with ice from one hand and fighting off the flames for the man’s life with the other.

Everyone who tried to help the fire made it out. There was nothing more than a few burns and perhaps a couple of scars.

But for the family inside?

Only the bundle made it out.

For all their efforts, Elsa and any other assisting Arendellians had only been able to save that one little life.

So now there stood Honeymaren and Elsa in the hospital, listening to the doctor speak of the little one’s health. The doctor had been able to clear her lungs and the worst she’d carry from the fire was a burn on her left arm. But, if all healed nicely, it would appear to be nothing more than a birthmark.

With no family from the home and Anna gathering as much Intel as she could about them, that only left Elsa and Honeymaren to tend to the baby. They stepped quietly into the room, hovering over the infant. She was estimated to be about five or six months old, had a tuft of dark hair on her head, and bronze skin. She stirred briefly; looking as though she were about to open her eyes, but Elsa soothed her in no time. Holding out her palm, she released a light flurry of snowflakes. They formed themselves into horses, quietly galloping over the baby. They whinnied faintly, almost whispering that familiar tune.

_“Sleep, my darling, safe and sound, for in this river all is found.”_

And then the baby drifted back to sleep.

Honeymaren took her eyes off the infant and looked at Elsa. Her arm retreated into her chest and she held the most regretful look. Honeymaren sighed. She hated seeing her girlfriend that way.

“Hey,” she said softly wrapped an arm around her waist. “You did everything you could.”

Elsa sighed and closed her eyes. “But it wasn’t enough….”

“You tried. That’s all you could have done,” she promised. She tightened her grip around Elsa. “Hey,” she whispered kissing her shoulder, “you saved her.”

She felt Elsa lea into her and Elsa’s hand go over hers.

But she didn’t say anything.

It wasn’t the time to argue.

But even so, Elsa’s silence said it all.

She still felt like she failed.

Anna returned a few hours later and the three women gathered in the hall to talk. Honeymaren could feel the temperature fluctuating; Elsa was doing her best to keep her emotions in check. They were hoping for the best. That Anna had found something out. That the girl had other family somewhere in Arendelle. That they could just know something. Honeymaren squeezed Elsa’s hand in support, which seemed to keep the temperature steady.

It was short lived.

Anna’s expression said it all.

A heartbroken look immediately crossed Elsa’s face and Honeymaren’s jaw dropped in complete shock.

“So…so that’s it then…?” the brunette asked hesitantly.

“I asked everyone I could,” Anna sighed. “The parents came on a ship from another kingdom about ten months ago. They gave birth not too long after settling down here. The neighbors spoke nothing of high praise for them, but they couldn’t tell me anything about where they came from or what their life may have been like before. We….” Anna sighed regretfully and looked down. “We can only assume there’s no other family.”

Elsa’s hand shot up over her mouth. She shut her eyes tight and turned her head away, wrapping her other arm around herself.

Honeymaren placed her hands on her shoulders, gently caressing them. She felt her girlfriend try to control her breathing. There was no way Elsa was going to ask the difficult questions, not without putting more guilt on herself. Honeymaren was not about to let that happen.

“So what happens now…?”

Anna paused. “Lena…that’s her name…she….” She clenched her fists. “She’s going to have to go to the orphanage when they release her.”

Honeymaren’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Orphanage…?” That word was unfamiliar to her.

The queen gave a single nod. “It’s…it’s where children go when they don’t have….” She couldn’t bring herself to finish. Anna let out a single breath and turned her head away.

Honeymaren’s eyes widened. That was no way to live. In a place with a ton of other children and no parents. “Can’t…can’t you make sure she finds someone?”

“I can try but….” Anna bit her lower lip. “But then I have to make the same effort with the other children.” Eyes widening, she lifted her head and held up a hand. “Please, please don’t me wrong. At all. Of course I want to do that for everyone. If I could, I absolutely would. It’s just that…. There’s not enough people in Arendelle who want….” She stopped herself and shook her head, knowing full well that didn’t sound right. Even if it was the truth. “I will do everything I can to make sure Lena and the other children there have the best accommodations possible and of course I’ll get the word out….”

“Don’t,” Elsa cut her off.

“What…?” Anna asked.

Elsa shook her head. “She’s not going there.”

“Ugh, you’re right,” Anna agreed instantly. “I’ll take her to the castle. See if anyone there wants to raise her. And we have plenty of space. We can always…”

“No, Anna,” Elsa repeated. She opened her eyes and focused her gaze on her sister. “I need to take her.”

“Wait, what?” Anna blinked.

“That’s pretty ballsy of you, Snowflake,” Honeymaren commented.

Elsa shook her head. She straightened her posture and lowered her arms. “I couldn’t save her family. I need to make this right for her. Lena can come back to Northuldra with me. She’s not going to be parentless; I’ll raise her.”

Anna’s eyes lit up and her hands jumped over her heart. “Elsa…!”

“It’s the least I can do. I owe it to her to make things right somehow,” the blonde said.

“Elsa, are you crazy?” Honeymaren gasped. “What about your spirit duties? What are you supposed to do when you calm the Earth Giants? You’re gonna make an ice backpack and carry her in it and hope the giants don’t accidentally crush her? Or when you go to Ahtohollan? She’s gonna freeze while you’re walking through a memory blizzard?”

Elsa shook her head. “I’ll figure something out.”

“To hell you are,” Honeymaren argued.

“Honeymaren, I have to do this. It’s the right thing to do.”

“I’m not saying it’s not.”

“So why are you fighting me?”

“Because if I don’t you’re gonna try and do it all alone.”

Elsa blinked.

She paused.

“Wait…what?”

“Wait, what?” Anna echoed, tilting her head.

Honeymaren shook her head. She turned Elsa so she faced her completely. “We’re doing this together.”

Elsa raised an eyebrow. “Are…are you sure? I mean, we…. We never…”

Talked about kids, Honeymaren thought to herself, let alone an actual future together?

No they hadn’t.

Honeymaren never even thought about it herself, if she was being completely honest.

She always assumed she’d be on her own. Keeping to herself. Protecting the Northuldra. Doing her job. Just be…. Kind of alone.

But Elsa came in and changed all that.

She no longer recalled the exact moment that happened.

She just knew that Elsa was her life now.

“I know you, Snowflake. You spend all your time thinking about and focusing on everyone else. You never stop to think about yourself. Or how it affects you. You just…you want to do everything for everyone else. But it doesn’t mean you have to do it by yourself.”

She paused, taking Elsa’s hands in hers.

“I used to think I had to do everything on my own, too. So I wouldn’t get hurt again. But we’re a team now. We do this together. I’m in this with you. So we’re gonna take her back to Northuldra. We’re gonna get settled in a new goahti. And we’re gonna raise her. Together. And we’re gonna make sure she’s never alone again.”

Honeymaren smirked, as if it would be the last blow to get Elsa to agree with her. “So. What do you say, Snowflake?”

_Come, my darling, homeward bound_

_Where all is lost, then all is found_

The lullaby quickly became a nightly ritual. Before every bedtime and naptime, Elsa and Honeymaren would get together in the goahti and sing Lena to sleep with the song. Honeymaren would cradle the little one in her arms while Elsa would use her magic to create small flurries, dancing across Lena’s big brown eyes and help drift her off to sleep. Even as she began growing into a toddler, Lena would always beg them to sing to her. She couldn’t fall asleep without squeezing Honeymaren’s old reindeer toy in her arm and listening to her mothers sing to her. There were always instances where Honeymaren would have to sing solo; Elsa would get so caught up in Ahtohollan. Lena would insist on staying awake until Elsa returned, but the drowsiness would prove to be too much for her. Even as a little girl, she understood that Elsa had a lot to do. Way more than most of the Northuldra. But to her, she never knew Elsa as the Fifth Spirit or a former queen or guardian of the forest or anything of the sort. She only knew her as her mama.

Each time Elsa ran late with her spirit duties or perhaps was caught up too long in Ahtohollan, Lena would sit in front of the door and eagerly await her mama’s return. One particular night, Honeymaren left for all of five minutes to check on the reindeer and walked into a very disappointed four-year-old.

“Aw, I thought you were Mama,” she pouted.

“Gee, thanks you little stink,” Honeymaren teased. She playfully rubbed her daughter’s head and climbed in over her and into the goahti.

Lena shook her head and rolled over before plopping herself back in the front. “When’s Mama coming back?”

“Soon,” Honeymaren promised. “I think she had a busy day today.”

Lena huffed.

“How about I make us some tea and then put you to bed,” the brunette suggested.

“No. I want Mama,” she complained.

“I can’t make her magically appear. She’s the one with the magic,” Honeymaren pointed out.

Lena’s brown eyes widened. “Maybe, maybe she can hear me if I sing!” She leaned forward and attempted to sing – or rather, screamed – out the door like the siren call. “AAAAAAAH OOOOOOOOH AAAAA!”

A few of the reindeer barked in the distance.

Honeymaren thought she heard Ryder yell to shut up.

She laughed at that.

“It doesn’t work like that, Lena,” she shook her head. She walked over to pick up her daughter and then carried her to bed.

“But I’m not even tireded,” Lena groaned.

“You will be soon,” Honeymaren chuckled. She sat down on the fur pelt and wrapped Lena in her own blanket before handing her the reindeer.

“Can’t I just wait a little longer? Pleeeeeeease?” she begged.

“But you’re still pretty little. And little kids need their sleep. Do you wanna fall asleep when you’re picking berries and wake up in splattered cloudberry juice?” Honeymaren inquired.

Lena pursed her lips, almost identical to the way Elsa did hers. “No….”

“Thought so,” Honeymaren chuckled. She adjusted her daughter so she leaned against her chest. _“Where the north wind meets the sea, there’s a river full of memory.”_

Despite the little girl’s stubbornness, even after all that time when one of her mothers started singing Lena would find a way to join in.

_“Sleep, my darling, safe and sound, for in this river all is found.”_

Honeymaren felt Lena relax against her and start breathing steadily as the song entranced her and she began to fall asleep.

A couple of hours later Elsa finally returned to the goahti. She let out a breath as she walked inside.

“I am so sorry I’m late,” she apologized.

Honeymaren smirked, looking up from her tea. “Don’t tell me, tell your daughter. You know, this is the fourth time this week you set me up alone for bedtime duty. I think I’m gonna have to start charging you.”

“I’ll take my chances,” Elsa decided before leaning in and giving Honeymaren a kiss. “How was she tonight?”

“Stubborn. Also your fault,” the brunette teased.

“Oh no, that’s very much from you,” Elsa countered.

“You should’ve seen the way she pouted.”

“How so?”

“Because that’s just like you.”

“You make it sound like she mimics me.”

“She does. All the damn time. She makes the face like this…”

Honeymaren went so far as to try and purse her lips the way Elsa did.

“I do not make that face,” the blonde argued.

“Do so,” Honeymaren replied with the same look.

“Snowflake.”

“Honey.”

Elsa went so far as to place her finger against Honeymaren’s lips, like it was supposed to get her to stop pouting.

For the quickest moment, it worked.

That was, until the pout turned into a smirk.

Honeymaren reached her hand up and flattened Elsa’s hands against her lips before kissing it.

Elsa rolled her eyes, but Honeymaren knew exactly what she was thinking.

She was smooth as hell.

For a few minutes the two of them sat there, hand in hand, just enjoying the quiet.

“Mama…?”

That is, until a sleepy Lena began to stir.

Elsa stood and approached her daughter. “I’m here, love.” She picked the little girl up and held her in her arms.

Lena yawned into Elsa’s shoulder. “I…I tried waiting.”

“I know you did,” Elsa nodded. “Were you good for Mommy?”

“Yes,” she answered.

“No,” Honeymaren interjected playfully.

Elsa shook her head.

Lena looked up at her mama. “What did Ahtahooha say?”

“Ahtohollan,” Elsa corrected softly, sounding it out as if Lena would get it right the next time. She never did. “And it said….” She stopped herself and looked to Honeymaren.

And the brunette knew instantly.

There were still no answers.

That was why Elsa returned so late sometimes. She was trying to find out more about Lena’s biological family. More solid information about her parents. Where they came from. If she had distant relatives out there. Of course Lena deserved to know all that.

Oh, how could Honeymaren have been so dense?

It was never Elsa’s spirit duties that kept her out late.

It was the love for her family.

Even after all this time, she was still trying to figure everything out on her own.

Not that there was anything Honeymaren could do about it; to her knowledge no mortals were yet allowed in Ahtohollan. By all accounts that was absolutely something Elsa had to do on her own.

But Lena was still too young to understand it all.

They couldn’t tell her that was why Elsa was out for so long.

Finally, Elsa exhaled. “Ahtohollan showed me my family. And I got caught up at how happy it made me.”

Honeymaren stepped closer. She placed her hand on Elsa’s back and rubbed it lightly. She felt Elsa relax into her touch and Honeymaren leaned forward, placing a kiss on her cheek.

Lena, however, appeared satisfied with the answer. “I’m glad.”

Elsa shook her head. “How about we get you back to sleep now,” she suggested.

“Sing me,” the girl yawned.

“Ok, ok,” Elsa gave in. She sat down on her and Honeymaren’s bed and adjusted Lena in her arms to a more comfortable position. Honeymaren sat besides her, wrapping an arm around Elsa’s waist. With her free hand, Elsa held her palm flat out and a small, delicate cyclone of flurries appeared in it. They began forming shapes as the song left her lips.

_“In her waters deep and true, lie the answers and a path for you.”_

The snow in Elsa’s hand created little figurines of their family. They showed a miniature Elsa, Honeymaren, and Lena. The three of them were together. Chasing each other. Happy.

_“Dive down deep into her sound.”_

Honeymaren felt a smile creep across her face as she joined in, leaning her free hand forward to boop Lena’s nose gently.

_“But not too far or you’ll be drowned.”_

Lena let out the faintest giggle and scooted in closer to her mothers. She kept her eyes focused on the snow figures that Elsa created, listening to the two of them sing to her.

_“She will sing to those who hear, and in her song all magic flows.”_

Figurines of Anna, Kristoff, their children, and Olaf joined in on the three existing ones. Snow Anna threw a snowball at one of them, starting an entire fight. One of the snow children was chasing after Olaf while another jumped on Snow Kristoff’s back. Snow Elsa created a rather large snowball that she flung at Snow Honeymaren. Meanwhile, as Lena watched the scenes play out in front of her, Honeymaren moved her finger lightly to the bridge of her daughter’s nose. She slid it down gently to the tip, then brought it back to the top and started over again. She watched as the girl’s eyes began drooping, even as they struggled to focus on the snow figures before her.

_“Can you brave what you most fear? Can we face what the river knows?”_

Before either of them knew it, the little girl was out like a light once again.

And shortly after, Elsa was completely leaned against Honeymaren’s figure and sound asleep.

It wasn’t until they had moments like that that Honeymaren felt truly at peace.

_All is found_

It was such a common lullaby in Northuldra. It was one of the first songs and child of the Enchanted Forest heard. For some people, that’s what it always was. A lullaby. But for Honeymaren, it proved to be so much more than that.

It connected her to her mother. The person who raised her and protected her. Her family.

It got her through the most trying times. Honeymaren had fallen asleep at night wishing as she huffed the song out that she could have heard her mother sing it to her one final time. But even then, it always put her to sleep.

It was what first connected her to Elsa. It was what started everything between them.

It was the thing that connected their whole relationship. From the first simple campfire side chat to their first unexpected hangout in the middle of the night to their first kiss to the moment Honeymaren realized she was in love with her.

It was the thing that after so many trials and tribulations brought Honeymaren happiness. Happiness she at one point believed to be nothing more than a fantasy.

It was the thing that started her own family. As much as anyone could argue a tragic twist of fate led to the occurrence, Honeymaren would still swear that that night in the hospital she heard the faintest whisper of that lullaby come from Elsa’s magic. The song brought Lena to them.

It was the thing that kept them together. Through the sleepless nights with their daughter. Through the long workdays. Through any arguments or disputes. Through any misunderstandings. Through the sunny days and the rainy days. Through the times when Ruben just insisted on crashing their party and inviting himself into their goahti. Through the days when they were the perfect example of a happily family. Through the best times and the worst times; at the end of the night, they always had that song.

Even on their wedding day, when they opted for the simplest of ceremonies just outside of Northuldra with only close friends and family. As soon as Lena got on a giant rock and began singing the lullaby, everyone was there. Everyone saw how happy and connected they were.

Even after everything was said and done, each night they lie in bed, after Elsa was sound asleep and the world was all but silent, Honeymaren couldn’t help but look over to her and feel more than just peace.

She felt the thing that Elsa felt when she first sang the song.

Home.

The lullaby was the first thing that made Elsa feel at home in Northuldra.

But for Honeymaren, it always reminded her of home.

Not just the home where she grew up.

Not just the home where she built her life.

The home that she created with Elsa.

The home that she always felt when she was with her.

She home she felt when they sang together.

It was so much more than just simply being at peace.

So every night, before Honeymaren would drift off and join her family in slumber, she would lean forward and kiss Elsa’s temple. And she’d sing softly in her ear, just quietly enough so to never disturb her.

_“All is found.”_

**Author's Note:**

> One more to go after this for real this time! Hope everyone's enjoying Elsamaren Summer. i know it's been giving me all the feels. Don't forget to read everyone else's, too, they are all amazing! :)


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